Timeshifters
by macaronisofa
Summary: During Goku's fight with Cell, the timeline is restarted by an unknown ball of energy. What will he do when he finds out he is the only one who remembers the original timeline's events? Will he try to make a better timeline than before and save his friends? Find out now on Dragonball Z, Timeshifters. Rated T for language, violence, and minor sexual content.


He just could not understand how all of this had happened. It had been so quick, a change in the wind; a sudden shift in the galaxy; undetectable. One moment he was on top, the strongest in the universe, undefeatable; and the next he was nothing. He was being defeated and hit and thrown about like a rag doll, expected to roll over and die.

When had it all gone wrong?

He had trained so hard; spent that long, hard, unimaginable, year in the time chamber. And _still_ it was not enough. He had been defeated and so had his son and everything had gone so terribly wrong. But deep down he guessed he knew why. He was so reluctant to admit it to himself that it caused him physical pain. But he knew.

He was an arrogant fool; and he had acted out of nothing but vain pride.

And he knew it.

The only reason that his life had not been ended in this very moment was the boy atop him; the son of Kakarot, Gohan, whose limp, damaged, body lay heavily over of him, his blood running in streams down onto Vegeta's armor, seeping through the vest and into the very fabric; and the boy's shallow, ragged, labored breaths pressed persistently into Vegeta's throbbing abdomen, and his head rested limply on the older Saiyan's chest. Vegeta had been so confused about why this boy would give his life to protect him, certainly Vegeta had done nothing to deserve such an act of selflessness; in all actuality, Vegeta agreed that he _deserved_ to die, but the child had apparently disagreed. Never before in his life had Vegeta felt such a strong sense of love and gratitude toward another person, and never before had he been so humbled. Vegeta could not see the boy above him, and he could do nothing to move him. Vegeta couldn't move or open his eyes even if he had wanted too. His body had been pushed and injured far beyond it's limit. He was exhausted and in so much pain...He felt the boy above him shift, and his head raise as his weight moved away from Vegeta.

The sounds around him were fading into muddled background noise...

Goku watched with wide eyes as his son raised himself from Vegeta's broken body. A million thoughts were racing through his head; worry and anxiety and anger coursing through him at the state of his son; and an unbelievable amount gratitude for saving Vegeta's life. He had raised an amazing son, someone he could truly be proud of. Although knowing this did nothing to calm the rising anxiety welling in his belly over not just his son but his rival as well. The anger flared in his veins as he eyed Cell, who seemed amused at everything that had occurred. Gohan got to his feet a little unsteadily, and Goku knew that his son was going to attempt another attack. This was suicide. He opened his mouth to say something, when he caught sight of something strange.

In the air, over the water was a bright circular ball of energy, and for a moment Goku almost mistook it for the sun. But unlike the sun, it grew steadily bigger and bigger, and that was when it dawned on Goku that it was getting closer. He watched it with increasingly widening eyes as he opened his mouth to say something as he turned to Krillin, "Krillin! Do you see that?!"

Krillin gazed up at Goku with a startling look of confusion as he asked, "See what Goku?" His eyes searched in the direction Goku's finger was pointing, and Goku watched his eyes gaze over it multiple times, but the small man turned back to him, shaking his head in confusion. "I don't see anything, Goku! What are you talking about?!"

Goku stammered a bit as he looked from Krillin back to the energy ball, then back to Krillin. But was startled to see that it was beginning to overtake them. "What do you mean, 'what am I talking about'?! You have to see that huge ball of energy! It's coming right at us!"

"Goku, there is _nothing_ there! I promise!" Krillin exclaimed, continuing to search the sky, much to Goku's confusion. But he saw it! It was right there and it was coming right for them and they needed to get out of there now! He turned to move, but was stopped as the ball of energy he was seeing, disappeared. "What is going on?" Goku asked himself, as he looked back at Cell, then at Vegeta, who still lie where he had landed, and then at Krillin, who was looking at him with worry and confusion. Goku opened his mouth to answer them, but was blinded by a huge flash of light as the energy ball exploded in his face.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

When he opened his eyes the sunlight poured into them, making them ache as they adjusted to the brightness of the sky. Goku was very confused for a moment, as he lie there in the dirt, staring up at the sky, that was quite a lot brighter than he remembered it to be; and the air was quite a bit more hot and dry than he remembered. Goku sighed loudly, stretching out his limbs, and letting out a second contented sigh as he dug the tips of his fingers into the gra...he sat up immediately, gazing around himself in utter confusion and remembering where had been, fighting Cell. But he was definitely not near the ocean anymore. He gazed around himself, taking in the barren, rocky wasteland that surrounded him. He was sure he was not where he was supposed be. But this land looked familiar; yeah, it was! It suddenly dawned on him where he knew this place from. This was the place that he had first met Vegeta! But what was he doing here?

Goku's mind sifted through everything he could remember, but nothing made sense as to why he would be _here_...

His mind wandered to Gohan and Krillin and Vegeta and the others, and he hoped that they were okay and that Cell had not won. The sense of pride he had felt for the deed his son had done returned, and he smiled to himself as he sat there in the dirt. He guessed he should get moving, and he stood, and then something was not right. He could feel his own power level. And it had been a lot higher before he had been knocked unconscious. But how could being knocked out lower his power level so considerably? Goku put a hand to his head, brows knitting together in confusion. Nothing made sense! He was beginning to get seriously frustrated, when he heard a loud thundering noise coming from his right. He turned his head in the direction, as a cloud of smoke billowed up into the air and he sensed a power level on par with his own.

"What the? What the heck is that?" His thoughts immediately went to Cell, but how did the battle get all the way out here? So far from where it had started? He bent his knees, and jumped, launching himself into the air, before heading toward the direction of the explosion. Goku stopped a little ways away from the people below him, and he was shocked at what he saw. In fact, he was so flabbergasted that he simply floated there in the air with his jaw hanging open in a stupefied manner. There below him, was the bodies of Yamcha, Tien, Piccolo, and Chiaotzu; and across from them...was Vegeta and Nappa. Gohan and Krillin standing across from the two Saiyans.

Goku gasped, taken aback. "What is this? That man is dead, I thought...Vegeta...killed him."

But no matter what Goku remembered, this was happening. It took him a moment to piece everything together as he watched it unfold from above. Had he traveled in time? Backward? The energy ball! That had to have something to do with it! He had to get down there and talk with Krillin and Gohan. Maybe they had seen something he hadn't! With a burst of energy, he shot downward toward the ground, landing feet from his son and friend.

"Goku! You're finally here!" Krillin exclaimed, a smile spreading across his face.

"Daddy!" Gohan ran toward Goku, slamming into his father and hugging him tightly, burying his face into Goku and mumbling to him. Goku smiled, laying a hand on Gohan's head gently as he said, "It's alright Gohan, I'm here now." He then turned to Krillin, "What is going on? Can you believe this it's so strange. It must have been that energy ball!"

Krillin gave Goku a strange look, raising an eyebrow at him as he asked, "What are you talking about, Goku? Are you _sure_ you didn't hit your head coming back from Kai's?"

"Of course I didn't, silly!" Goku exclaimed, giggling nervously and explaining, "The _energy_ ball? You know, the one I saw while we were fighting Cell?" He then turned in a spur of the moment urge, and called over to Vegeta with a stupid smile on his face, "Hey Vegeta! Did _you_ see the giant energy ball?"

Vegeta gazed at Goku with a raised eyebrow, before he looked back and forth, then back to Goku, before he scoffed and asked, "Are you...are you talking to _me_?" Vegeta then turned to Nappa, who stood at his side looking rather haggard and said in a mocking tone, trying to hide a laugh, "Nappa, I think he's talking to _me_."

"What?" Goku asked, confused, shaking his head and gazing at Vegeta strangely as he answered, "Well of course I'm talking to you, who else here is named Vegeta?"Vegeta opened his mouth to retort but Goku continued his explanation, "Something strange is going on here and I think it has something to do with that huge energy ball that appeared while we were fighting Cell!"

"Eheh...eheheheheheh...Well it seems Kakarot's not only weak _and_ third class, but completely _insane_ as well!" Vegeta said to Nappa, laughing and shaking his head at Kakarot, who held a comical look of absolute confusion on his face, the smile that it had held slowly vanishing as Nappa laughed along with Vegeta and answered, "Ah, so it would seem. How sad...losing oneself to madness..." Nappa paused for a long moment, before he asked, "Can I finish him now, Vegeta? Can I?"

Vegeta considered his request for a few seconds, before smirking and saying loudly enough for Kakarot to hear him, "I don't know why you think you know me, or why you think I was with you fighting whoever 'Cell' is...but it doesn't matter. You'll be dead soon. Go ahead Nappa," Vegeta laughed dryly, "Finish him off."

"Wh-What?!" Goku exclaimed, "Vegeta!" What was gong on with his friends? How did they-Goku gasped, as it dawned on him. They didn't remember! Perhaps it was only him who had been transported back! Or maybe only _he_ had retained his whole memory! Given a chance to make things better!

" _Behind you_."

"Wha!?" Pain erupted in his back as he was struck hard by a fist from behind, Nappa's knuckles digging up and into his rib cage, and Goku could hear the cracking from within him as he went flying forward. " _Ah_!" He let out a cry of pain as his chin connected with the dirt, and he slid to a stop.

"Dad!" Gohan exclaimed, and attempted to run after his father, but was stopped when Krillin's firm hand wrapped around his wrist. "Let me go, my Dad needs me!"

"Gohan, you'll just get in the way! Leave it be!"

Gohan pouted for a moment, but stilled as Krillin released his arm. Goku raised himself from the ground, the pain in his back dulled to a low throbbing as Nappa approached him again, his mocking voice ringing out as he laughed and said, "Look Vegeta, I think I hurt him!" Goku looked over to Vegeta, who simply rolled his eyes as he said, "Stop playing Nappa and finish him, or he'll over power you."

"Overpower me? Ha, don't tell jokes like that Vegeta. You'll make me laugh." Nappa turned his gaze back upon Goku, who swallowed as he ran through just about a thousand different courses of actions he could take right now. He did not want to kill anyone, not if there was a possible way to save everyone. And he definitely didn't want to fight Vegeta. It was too late for that, he had already forged a strong bond with the other Saiyan and he didn't now if he could bear to fight him so seriously again. He had barely survived the last time around... "Time to die, third class."

"I don't think so!" Goku steadied himself, moving a foot backward and raising his hands. He knew Nappa would attack anyway, no matter what he did. And he did have an advantage over it all. He already _knew_ what was going to happen. But this time, he wasn't going to injure him as severely as before. He hoped that he could avoid Vegeta having to kill him. And then he heard Nappa's voice, screaming at him, "Don't you ignore me!"The enraged Saiyan then took off toward him with a scream.

Vegeta stood there, arms crossed as he watched the battle before him unfold. Nappa was an idiot. Vegeta could clearly see how upset he was getting; with every punch and kick that Kakarot blocked or dodged, Nappa got more and more angry. The damn man couldn't keep his head and that's when his work got sloppy. Vegeta snickered. One of these days he would learn. But he couldn't keep his mind from wandering to what Kakarot had said to him. Who was Cell? And what energy ball had he been talking about? It was strange. Kakarot had been speaking to him like they had known each other for years; like they were great friends. It was strange, and it unsettled Vegeta the more he thought about it. Did Kakarot know something he wasn't aware of? No, he couldn't possibly...but...A scream erupted from his left, and he jerked his head in that direction to catch the end of Kakarot's attack connecting with Nappa's jaw, sending the larger Saiyan sideways and into a boulder, smashing it to pieces and leaving Nappa lying in the rubble. Vegeta watched for a few moments, and when Nappa did not move, he exhaled a sigh of irritation.

"Goddamnit, Nappa."

"Ha...ha...looks like...I managed it." Goku whispered to himself, as he took his eyes off the unconscious Saiyan and refocused them back to Vegeta. It was so strange. This was Vegeta, _his_ Vegeta, the Vegeta he knew so well, yet this Vegeta seemed to be completely unaware of everything that Goku was. He had too stop this...he couldn't fight...didn't _want_ to fight Vegeta. He was pulled from his thoughts when Vegeta's voice echoed throughout the wasteland around them.

"Well it's seems you've taken out my companion. I'll have to offer you congratulations...I have to admit it was...unexpected." His voice was filled with irritation and boredom, and Goku couldn't deny that it grated on his nerves as it always did. His voice was dry and disinterested but it was so _familiar_...Goku thought quickly as Vegeta continued, "It seems I'll just have to finish the job myself. You know what they say," he sighed loudly and took a few steps forward, "you want a job right, you gotta do it yourself."

"Vegeta, wait!" Goku exclaimed, taking a few steps toward his frienemy so that they had a clear view of each other, "You don't have to do this. Let me explain some things."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow and asked, "You mean explain what you were talking about when you said something about an energy ball and somebody named Cell?"

"Yes!" Goku exclaimed, "Just listen to me Vegeta!"

"Stop that!" Vegeta's face twisted in irritation as his voice raised.

"Stop what, Vegeta?" Goku asked innocently, cocking his head to the side as he looked at the other Saiyan.

"That! Stop talking like you know me!"

Goku couldn't help but smile and laugh as he said, "But I _do_ know you, Vegeta. That's what I want to explain." After a few long moments of silence, Vegeta sighed, defeated, "Fine. Go ahead. Explain. You have three minutes." He let out a dark laugh, "And then I kill you."

Goku nodded, "Alright then." He went through a mental script in his head, doing his best to try and sum up everything in an explanation that would take under three minutes to describe. After another few moments, he opened his mouth, and began his explanation. "Well, a few minutes ago I was somewhere completely different. I was with you, and Piccolo, and Krillin and Gohan and your son, and my friends, and we were fighting an android named Cell, who was destroying us and trying to destroy the earth. And then I saw a giant flash of energy, and I woke up here, in the past. You see, this already happened. I beat you, just like I beat Nappa, and then you escape in your pod, but I see you again on Namek, and we defeat Frieza together and you come to earth and we all become friends, and we both become Super Saiyan's and a bunch of other stuff happens that leads up to the fight with Cell, and it seems I've been taken back into the past or something. Haaaaaa," Goku inhaled deeply and loudly, trying to catch his breath after such a long explanation. He looked at Vegeta pleadingly, hoping that the Saiyan would believe him.

Vegeta stood silent for a very long time, long enough to make Goku and Krillin and Gohan extremely uncomfortable. And then, he started laughing. It was dry and dark, but it was laughing nonetheless. And then the laughing stopped, as abruptly as it started. "Okay, I believe you."

"Really?" Goku asked, a hopeful smile crossing his face.

" _No_." Vegeta was behind him in a second, the shin of his left leg connecting hard with the left side of Goku's head.

" _Gah_!" A flash spread across his left eye at the impact, the pain spreading through his temple and into his brain like a terrible headache. The force of the blow sent him flying, and it took a lot of effort to maneuver himself in a flip to regain his balance, as he landed on his feet a few yards away form the Saiyan prince. "Vegeta _please_!" Goku pleaded, the hand that had traveled up to his head rubbed the sore spot carefully, leaving him wincing at the pressure. "I'm telling the truth, you need to believe me! If you don't stop, you'll hurt yourself!"

Goku watched as the prince's face twisted in new found rage, and he yelled, "Do not tell the prince of Saiyans what to do! You are _insane_!" Vegeta's hands swirled in front of him, and came together as the energy from within him formulated into a beam, "Galick Gun!"

Goku saw the beam of energy barreling toward him, and he leaped into the air, using the boulder beside him to push off of as he flipped up and over the beam of energy that Vegeta released. "Damn!" Goku cried; it wasn't working! Vegeta wasn't believing him! He needed to be more specific! Damnit!

"Graaaaaaaaah!" Vegeta screamed in frustration when he realized that his attack had missed.

Goku cracked a smile at Vegeta's frustration as he shouted, "Vegeta! Stop this fighting! It's senseless, you have to believe me!" But Vegeta was not listening. With another screech of frustration his arms waved in the same pattern as before, coming together as he screamed, "Galick Gun!" and the energy was released like a cannon in Goku's direction, the power of the attack slightly raised in his anger and frustration; but it also made his aim sightly off. Goku avoided it easily, back flipping to the left as the barrage of energy shot underneath him, striking another boulder and destroying it uselessly.

"Ha! That wasn't so bad, I guess."

" _Goddamnit_!" Goku could hear Vegeta's enraged voice from where he was. He could not understand what had gotten the older Saiyan so angry so quickly; but he did know that he had to end this fast, otherwise he'd have no choice but to defend himself. But how could he get Vegeta to listen to him? He quickly began sorting through everything he knew about Vegeta in his mind, trying to find something that he could say to convince the Saiyan prince that he really _did_ know him; but his concentration was cut short.

"Will you just die already!" Vegeta shot himself forward like a rocket, waves of red energy surrounding him as he barreled toward Kakarot. Before Goku had time to react, Vegeta twisted his body forward, planting both feet into Kakarot's solar plexus, before using his gathered momentum to shoot himself backward as he flipped backward and landing facing Kakarot. Vegeta could hear the air being forced from the younger Saiyan's lungs, as he fell backward and stumbled, landing heavily on his back as he clutched at his stomach, emitting ragged gasping sounds.

"How was that, Kakarot?" Vegeta asked, as his feet settled back onto solid ground and he crossed his arms in an indignant position once more. "Hard enough for you?"

Goku gasped, trying to fill his injured lungs with air as he he forced out a breathless giggle, "Yeah," his voice was labored and breathless, "Definitely hard enough."

"Hahahahaha," Vegeta laughed, delighted by the pathetic position Kakarot was now occupying. It definitely wouldn't be too hard to finish him off now. But something really wasn't settling right with him. The power level his scouter had been registering on Kakarot had been much higher than the current fight he was putting up. It made Vegeta think that he was holding back...reluctant. It was beginning to put the prince on edge. What was Kakarot planning?

Goku pushed himself up slowly, steadying himself as he got to his feet and brushed off his chest. That hurt a little bit. He didn't think anything was broken, but another hit like that and he would have no choice but to fight Vegeta. His mind was racing, still searching for something that he could say to stop the onslaught of attacks from Vegeta. He lifted his eyes from the ground and refocused on his opponent. Vegeta stood a few feet away from him, arms crossed in his signature position. Finally he decided on a piece of information that was sure to grab Vegeta's attention, and just as the Saiyan prince began to approach him, he blurted, "You're father was King Vegeta and he ruled Planet Vegeta which was destroyed by Frieza!"

Vegeta froze where he was walking, staring at Kakarot with wide eyes. "W-wha...how did you know that?" His voice was grating, angry, and Goku was quick to continue, "You believe yourself to be reaching Super Saiyan level, and you have an absolute hatred of Frieza." Goku watched Vegeta's face contort into a mixture of rage and confusion. The prince opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by another voice coming from above them.

"Wow, looks like he does know a lot about you, Vegeta."

Vegeta's head snapped toward the direction of the voice immediately, and there was Nappa. He stood on a large outcropping to their right, looking down at them from a crouched position. He waved when he saw Vegeta look his way, and received a deadpan in response. Vegeta then turned back to Kakarot, inhaling deeply, before saying, "Suppose I _did_ believe everything you just told me; why should I even care? Why should I want the time line to go the way you want it too?"

Goku was silent for a moment as he thought to come up with an good explanation. "Because, you're happy! We're all happy! And because if you don't...you'll die. And I don't want you to die, Vegeta."

There was another long silence, and the prince of Saiyans stared at the ground for a very long time. Why should he even believe this nonsense! He _shouldn't_. It was crazy! But how did Kakarot know all of these things? He had never left earth, and Vegeta was sure that Raditz had not told him any type of information to this affect. He pondered it slowly. If Kakarot was right, and he _would_ die if he didn't believe him, he wanted to avoid that at all costs. " _Fine_ ," He started, turning back to Kakarot and looking him in the eyes, "Explain yourself. And _then_ I'll decide if I believe this _madness_."

"Okay!" Goku tried to calm himself so that he didn't sound over excited. Finally Vegeta was calming down! Maybe he wouldn't have to fight him after all! "Okay. I first met you here. Where we are now. And I defeat you and...well I guess _you_ defeat Nappa...But anyway, the dragon balls here are lost when Piccolo is killed. But we find out that there are other dragon balls on the planet Namek. So we head to Namek, and you die, but we save you and I kill Frieza and then you join us on earth when your son Trunks comes back from the future to warn us about androids coming to destroy the earth and then we prepare and we fight them and then we ran into Cell and I saw a huge ball of energy and now I'm back here again!" Goku took in a large breath, gazing at Vegeta expectantly, hoping that his less than detailed explanation was enough to convince Vegeta to stop this fight and help him.

Vegeta was still eerily silent, and Goku shifted nervously as he awaited a response. And finally, he got one.

"How do you know you didn't just knock yourself out and dream all that?" Vegeta asked mockingly, earning a laugh from Nappa as Goku stammered, "How would I know all of that information? Or how would I know that you like to save your sushi for last when you're eating?"

Vegeta opened his mouth to respond, but couldn't find anything to respond with. How _did_ he get all this information? Especially since he had never met Vegeta before...Vegeta snorted, gazing with an irritated gaze over at Kakarot. Goku continued talking, "So let's stop this attack, and work together! We could save so many lives and so much destruction."

"This makes no sense..." Vegeta mumbled, and then Nappa's voice called to him from his position, "Don't believe him Vegeta! He's crazy! Let's finish him!"

"Shut up, Nappa!" Vegeta snapped, casting a glare his way before looking back at Kakarot. He sighed. Kakarot had a point. Vegeta knew that Kakarot was strong...and if they worked together...he could almost laugh. They would be unstoppable. And if what Kakarot was saying was true, then Vegeta could also avoid his own death. The cogs in his head were turning, and they slowly brought a smirk to his face. Kakarot was so simple...so _gullible_. Vegeta cast Kakarot a questioning gaze, and then Goku walked toward him with palms up, as he said, "I promise I won't do anything to hurt you. I _am_ Kakarot after all."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. So he has embraced his Saiyan name? Hmph. He then turned his head, shouting to Nappa, "Nappa! Get over here."

He heard a sigh from Nappa as the larger Saiyan launched himself forward with a mighty leap, and then he landed heavily next to Vegeta, with a nasty smirk on his face as he gazed back toward Vegeta. The prince then turned back to Goku and said, "So what's you're plan, Kakarot?"

"Well," Goku started, "My friends are already dead so...I say we head to Capsule Corp and get ourselves a spaceship!"

Vegeta deadpanned, "And _after_ that?"

"We head to Namek!" Goku exclaimed, walking up and grouping with the other two Saiyans; and then he added, "And then we kill Frieza." Nappa snorted as Vegeta looked him up and down. Then he sighed in defeat, "Fine."

Goku smiled, stretching out a hand and offering it to Vegeta. "Truce?"

"Truce." Vegeta gripped the other Saiyan's hand in his, as they shook upon their agreement. Goku turned away and pointed in the direction of Capsule Corp, and began describing to them what Capsule Corp was and the such. Nappa then turned to Vegeta as Kakarot was distracted and asked, "Are we really going to go along with this crazy plan? His _obviously_ nuts, let's just put him out of his misery."

"But think about it Nappa," We could use him to get to the dragon balls! No one ever said that our truce had to be _permanent_."

"Oh, I see. I getcha now, Vegeta."

Vegeta simply smirked, looking over at Kakarot who was still going on and on about something or another. And then Vegeta said, "We'll just use this fool long enough to get our wish. Then... _well_..." and then space was filled with his dark laughter. This was going to be easy.

 _Very_ easy.


End file.
